Grindleford, Derbyshire – St Helen

On my Baslow-Grindleford circular walk, see the last blog, I stopped at St Helen’s church – SK 246779. It is one of the churches open on the Peak Pilgrimage – website – with a welcomed loo. It is also on the Derbyshire churches website.

The church was started about 1910, and was going to be a large Gothic revival church. The chancel was finished, the First World War intervened, and the rest was never completed. The guide leaflet says it “would have been a fine building. It would also have been expensive to maintain and difficult to heat.” It’s a nice Lady Chapel – the architects were “Sutton and Gregory” says derbyshirechurches – but I have no idea who they were. The nave and entrance were added later.

They have got a building that is probably the right size. It is open and welcoming, can be used for exhibitions, concerts and meetings. I am not sure about the cross design on the pulpit fall and altar cloths – I think the design is too cluttered.

The glass is by Arthur Anselm Orr, and there are some lovely photos here. There are a few references to him on line, but nothing that tells me much about him without subscribing or digging a lot deeper.

Grindleford Community Shop is in the church vestry – and they do not close at 5. I appreciated tea and cake, and a nice welcome. Go and say Hello.